Motive-fluid-generating apparatus for automobile torpedoes.



G. G. DAVISON.

MOTIVE'FLUID GENERATING APPARATUS FOR AUTOMOBILE TORPEDOES.

Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

m, y Q ATTORNEY Q G. 0. DAVISON. MOTIVE FLUID GENERATING APPARATUS FOR AUTOMOBILE T'ORPEDOES. APPLICATION FILED MW. 4. 1910.

1;O36,081. Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

i y 3 R 7 i Q I mm w k W GREGORY CALDWELL DAVISON, or QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASsrGNon 'ro nnno'rmo 1. BOAT COMPANY, on NEW YORK, 1v. JY., A CORPORATION on NEW JERSEY. J

MQTIVE-FLUID-GENERATING APPARATUS FOR AUTOMOBILE TORPEDOEQ.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, GREGORY C. DAVIsoN,

a citizen of the United States residing at Quincy, county of Norfolk, Commonwealth of Massachusettsyhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motive-Fluid 5. Generating Apparatus for vAutomobile Torpedoes; and I do hereby declare the followmg to be a full, clear, and exact description v of the invention, such as will enable others appertains to Skilled in the art to which it made and use the Same- The invention relates particularly to an improvement upon the system of genemting motive fluid for automobile torpedoes de-,

scribed and claimed in my co-pending application, for United States Letters Patent,

Serial No. 486,455, filed March 29th, 1909.

The primary object of the invention is to further increase the efiiciency of such a sys-' tem, and to further insurethat it shall be in operative condition whenever it may he called upon to do work; though the imr proved ignition devioeof the present invention isin itself applicable to other. systems,

as will appear. The particular nature of the nents will be understood from the ollow:

' section an '35 40 mixture of fuel and an oxygen-carrier, and

mg desenpiion and the accompanying drawings. H

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section of a portion of a torpedo, showing the apparatus of'niy invention, partly in partly in elevation; Fi 2 is a: vertical section of the improved ignition mechanism constructed 'in accordance with the invention; Fig. 3, IS a sectional plan on the line 3-3 of Fig.2; and Fig. 4., IS a sectional plan on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

The motive fluid is produced by burning a mixing with the'produets ofcombustion a quantity of water va or, whereby there is pr duced a motive, uid under extremely high pressure and at moderatetemperature, which is admirably adapted to the operation of the light, high-speed, powerful engines which are used on such torpedoes; and a very highdegnee of efficiency of the energytransformstion is secured. The oxygen-carrier, preferably air or oxygen under pres sure, is contained in a tank a which, in the construction illustrated, is formed by pnrtiim rovei the water through the tioning off a portion of the body of the torpedo in the customary way; and the fuel is contained in a tank 6- which is likewise formed by partitioning ed a portion of the Patent'ed Aug. 20%, 191%. V

matically when the torpedo is launched.-

From here the oxygen-carrier flows ate. ro

duoed pressurethrough the pipe .e to the generator f,- Within which it is intended the-t the mixed fuel and oxygen-carrier shall he burned and charged with water vapor. The.

type of generator illustrated is that disclosed in my earlier application, but for the purposes of the present description it is sufficient to say that it s a generator in which the mixed fuel and oxygen-carrier hurnnnd V and Water vapor is mixed with the products of combustion. From the Lower portion of,

the generator, a take'oif pipe leads toth engine 8., and a smaller take-.0 pipe It leads to the pump t. Tapped into the upper end ofthe generator Isa componndnozzle t, to which the oxygen-carrier, the fuel, and the water are supplied, and through which they are fed-into the generator. The oxygen-carrier passes-to the compound nozzle through thepipe e,'thefuel through the pipe y, and pipe is. The pumpfii draws water from the seat and supplies it to the generator and to the fuel tank through the mtermedietereguiator The construction of this regulator will be understood Q from Fig. l, fromwhich it will be seen that it comprises a casing divided into an upper and lowerchamber by a flexible dis hrs In u, which diaphragm carries an ed uSta le slottedstem 1), actuating the double-seated balance valve to, which controls the inlet passage from'the pipe to leadingfrom the 1 delivery Side of the pump. Into the lower portion of the lower-ohamber'of the regulator is alsotapped the outlet pipe 6 lead ing to the lower part of the fuel tank 6, and the outlet pipe It, leading to the compound nozzle. Into the upper part of the regulator, above the flexible diaphragm, is tapped the pipe 6, branching from the pipe 6 and containing the oxygenterrier under pressure.

The parts aboye described are? all coir-e chamber contains a flexible diaphragm a, 65 structed in accordance with my earlier ap-v seated on a shoulder in the casing Z and carplication before referred to. ,Inthat case rying a plunger 6, to which the end of the howeveryigniu fmwa brought. about ,byjifiin ltrigger,,.z is connected, the spring being ignition device "responsiveto' the reset provided to force the diaphragm outwardly.

within the generating charnbe,r,,the said {gr-, ,Thetdiaphragm is held in position by the nition device comprising a tubular casing screw d, which has a pressure-adm1ssion communicatingfiiththegeperatingphamhgp ,orif ice e-fl connected by the pressure pipe f andebntai'ning" a' fuse arranged to slide to a part of the pressure system which sup- 10 the casing and. normally rest-inghtthelower -p1i'esthe fuel.

end thereof, so that as soon as the pressure The parts are prepared for the firing opwithin-the-chamberiw'as sufiicient-to-lift-the: eration in the following manner: The fuse ;;.'=cfuse, iti.wduld-be forcedagainstthestatioiv case-rm),- being provided with a blank car-.

aryi firing-projection; PSueh ignition detridgeim at its upperend, is screwed into 15 vices'arerwell lmown'dnthe artand'haveithe' the-plug n; The plug is then inserted in defect thatytheitime of ignition'cannot-gbe the-casing Z, and turned until the trigger a adjusted, and 'tlre'f ignition device may be' is projected into the slot, whereupon the firedand' the fuse-burned-by the pressure of follower nut p is screwed down. This forces A the airi'n-the generating chamberEbefore-the the 'plug against its seat and at the same 20 flowiofafuel xbegins; in which=-event ignition time cooks the firing pin, the firing spring 1",

will notoecur. *It'is highlydesiz ableato-pro pei-ng then inserted and the cap'.wscrewed vide .antignitionvdevice such= that-the pre 1nto :place. The parts are then ready for aieciserinstant at whieh'thefigniterds-fired mayfiring by the pressure of the fuel acting lee-regulated; and further; to make rthefoper against the diaphragm a,

v 25 atiomof fining' dependent hponth'eipressure "The sequence of operations of the whole Ofth fuelfso that fliseawill not-beig s stem'is as follows: When the torpedo is nited until the=fuel -isi freelymfiowing intoi, launched, air at the pressure for which the (.wthe: generatingvc'haniberr 'flti is furtherl -ad pressure reducing valve d is set, passes into va'ntageous to make-thefiring. o rationulti the generator and on to'the pump, thereby 30 mately dependent, as'are all the other ope/1rstartmg'the pump to feed the water. The

atiOHS f he sys meupon the pressure air'pressure is also communicated to the diathe oxygenscarrier, so that-theentire steain phrag'm' u of the regulator, in such a way .1-"generating:apparatusconstitutesan interwile gs' to make the pressure of the water, and

pefidentsy'stern,ahii the;yari us operations consequently of the fuel, the same as the 35 are performed 'in'thein proper sequenceyto pressure of the oxygen-carrier. The water 'thusyseeune' reliability and safetyz To this and f'uel are fed under this pressure to the end, I provide the improved'1'gnitionmecha generator, and by suitably dimensioning the 4 omis' illustrated-in thedraWingst- This ig orificesaof the water and fuel feed pipes, the v v nitio'ii mechanism coinprises'iacasing Z=,; havrate -{o'f-fiow is made tobear afixed proportion 40 ing a-laterat extension' l screwed' mto the tdtherate of flow of air. The spring cisset walliof thd generating 5eh'ambtar fy-and, if? for a given pressure, which'may be adjusted th'el dome' 'sha ed hood o'f earlier-appli by changingthat spring, so that when the taca-tipnuis; enip oy ed, pro ecting1through=said fi ow of fluids has commenced, the water pres-- I hood; the extension contaihing 'an open duct sure, ,'which in this case'is equal to the fuel- '45. throughlwhioh communicationiscestablished pressure, acts upon-the diaphragm a. and.

between -the iriterioriofithe 'casing Land-w thin releases the firing pin q, which explodes the cdmbustible'rnixturekin the; generating chama cartridge and ignites the fuse, and the burn- Y;

fMbmli' DhlS easing Z oonstituteshreceptacle ingfuse in turn ignites the combustible for -=-t-he fusecaser'ng 'whichi -isisereweddmb mixture within the generating chamber.

I 50 the lug-.m fittin'giii thelenlarg'ediupperfhrid It will,of course,'-be understood that'by ofl' t e:oasing Z,--andfiadapteai to: -be 'forced reduction orifices in the feed pipes, or by a ontd=the -seat at the; lower*end of th eih" reducing the dimensions of those pipes, and

larged pdrtionjhymeansbf the surroundingby reason of the large'volume of the gener ,g 'sorew fol lower' nut 42. -;Tlie plug in? constifl ating chamber-and the outlet pipe therefrom "Q55 tutes a 'gu'ide sleeve for the firing. pin (1, to the engines, there will exist a difference of whieh' is urgedto the firing positionbythei pressure between the combustion space of 1 20 coi ledlspringr, cdnfined hetween the trigger thegenerator and the system of pipes leaddisk o;and-the' serewleap whiehscrewsi ing to the nozzles. For example, let'it he I orite the -upperend of thevplug'm eThe trig assumed that the pressure reducing valve d 60 gen tlisk h'as aprojectiomhryextendingfl is'set for apressure of 350 pounds. This intone; slot in the side of plughfand'engag will then be the pressure which feeds'the'air, in gthe trigger a pivoted are in tlre'vwall water and fuel to their respective orifices. L 1of-thejlaterally'extending chamber l fl 'which The pressure inside the generator will, for extends from the fuse receptacle Z. This example, be 325 pounds. The diiference in 0 should be set for a pressure of about 250 pounds.

This system has the advantages set forth in my earlier application referred to, in that no injury can result to a torpedo in case, for

example, the pump should be disabled and the water should not be injected into the generator. If the water supply fails, the fuel supply will also fail, and there is'no danger of burning out the apparatus. The improved system has the further advantage that ignition is made practically certain because the actuation'of the igniter is dependent upon the fuel pressure and, therefore, if for some reason the supply of water, and consequently the supply of fuel is delayed. the firing of the igniter will also be delayed until the fuel and water are fed into the generator. It will further be understood that, though this dependence of the fuel supply on the water supply and their ultimate de pendence upon the pressure of the oxygencarrier is greatly'to be desired, yet the-improvement of thepresent invention is ap- I plicable to any system in which the'flow of either the fuel or the oxygen-carrier is dependent upon the pressure of the other and the actuation of the igniter is in turn deendent upon that element of the combustile mixture which is itself dependent upon the pressure of the other element of the mixture, so thatthe ignition apparatus cannot operate until the flow of both, elements.

of the mixture has begun.

What I claim is:

- 1. In apparatus for generating motivefluid for automobile torpedoes, a generating chamber in which an oxygen carrier and "fuel are burned, means for supplyingthe oxygen-carrier andthe fuel under pressure to the generating chamber to form a combustible mixture, the feed of one of the ele-- ments of the mixture being dependent upon the pressure of the other, an igniting device,

' and connections whereby the actuation of the igniting device is dependent upon-the pressure of that element which is itself dependent'upon the pressure of the other element of the mixture; substantially as described.

2. In apparatus for generating motive ffluid for automobile torpedoes, a generating chamber in which an oxygen-carrier and fuel are burned, means for su plying the I oxygen-carrier and the fuel un er pressure to the generating chamber, an lgnition device, and connections whereby the actuation of the ignition device is dependent upon the pressure of the fuel; substantially as described.

3. In apparatus for generating motive fluid for automobile torpedoes, a generating chamber in which an oxygen-carrier and fuel are burned, means for supplying the oxygen-carrier under pressure to the generating chamber, means dependent upon the pressure of the oxygen-carrier for supplying the fuel under pressure to the generating chamber, an ignition device, and connections whereby the actuation of the ignition device is dependent upon the pressure of the fuel; substantially as described.

4. In apparatus for generating motive fluid for automobile torpedoes, a generating chamber in which an oxygen-carrier and fuel are burned and the products of combustion mixed with water vapor, a supply of oxygen-carrier under pressure, a pressure system dependent upon the pressure of the oxygen-carrier for supplying fuel and water to said chamber, an ignition device, and connections whereby the actuation of the ignition device is dependent upon the pressure in said system; substantially as described.

-5. In apparatus for generating motive fluid for automobile torpedoes, a generating chamber in which an oxygen-carrier and fuel are burned, a supply of oxygen-carrier under pressure, a pump, and connections whereby the. pump may be started by the oxygen-carrier, in combination with a pressure fuel feed system fed from the pump, an ignition device, and connections whereby the actuation of the ignition device is de- 100 pendent upon the pressure in the fuel-feed system; substantially as described.

6. In apparatus for generating motive fluid for automobile torpedoes, a generating fuel are burned, means. for supplying the oxygen-carrier and the fuel under'pressure tothe generatingchamber, an ignition devlce, and connectlons whereby the actuation of the ignition device. is dependent uponthe pressure of the fuel, said connections being adjustable to determine the period of ignition; substantially as described.

7 .'In apparatus for generating motive fluid for automobile torpedoes, a generating chamber" in which an oxygen-carrier and fuel are burned, and means for feeding the oxygen-carrier and fuel to said chamber, in combination with a fuse-receptacle constituting a chamber separate from but communicating with the generating chamber through .an open duct, a fuse in said receptacle, and pressure-controlled firing mechanism for the fuse; substantially as described.

8. In apparatus for generating motive fluid for automobiletorpedoes, a generating chamber in which .an oxygen-carrier and trolling the firing mechanism; substantially 10 fuel are burned, and means for feeding the as described.

oxygen-carrier and fuel to said chamber, in In testimony whereof I aflix my signacombination wijth. a fuse-recfeptaclg constiture, in presence of two Witnesses.

tutin a chain er se arate rom ut communizating with the generating chamber GREGORY CALDWELL N through an open duct, a fuse in said recep-' 'Witnesses: tacle, firing mechanism for the fuse, and PF. L." BRAKE, adjustable pressurewactuated means for 0011- J. E. FITZGERALD, Jr. 

